Sighthound Objects

[bunn]

I think sighthounds make very attractive shapes that remind me of Anglo Saxon objects.

For example, isn't this lovely and perfectly greyhound-like?


A late Anglo-Saxon zoomorphic strap-end -   Circa 9th to 11th century
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/showrecords.php?product=4004&cat=109



This amazing  ninth-century ring bezel  - surely that is a sighthound?  Though one with a plumy tail and feathers so maybe a little more like a saluki.

http://www.fabiandemontjoye.com/rings/middle-age/705-early-medieval-ring-gold-niello-saxon-art-century.html

This awesome silver ring shows a more short-muzzled animal - maybe more like a boxer? But it still has that amazing curve to the chest and those fabulous legs.


Silver ring 775-850, found in the river Thames at Chelsea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BLW_Silver_Anglo-Saxon_ring.jpg

Here are lots and lots of dogs on this brooch:

The Strickland Brooch, mid-9th century.  
These are more doggy dogs - they could almost be exaggerated spaniels with their short bodies, round noses and feathered paws and tails.
The British Museum thinks that 'The Anglo-Saxons did not have pets like we do today, but dogs were used for hunting and protecting the home.'   This strikes me as an extremely dubious statement. How can they possibly know that? *Frowny face*

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/young_explorers/discover/museum_explorer/anglo-saxon_england/birds_and_beasts/the_strickland_brooch.aspx


Does anyone know when this sort of elaborately knotted animal image got the label 'Celtic' stuck on it?  And why?

(I agonised over how to do these links - should I make copies of the images, thus breaking the owner's copyright but preserving their bandwidth, or hotlink so they have control over where they are displayed?)  In the end I hotlinked on the grounds that not many people are likely to be looking at this page -  but if you own one of these images and would like this changed, just let me know).

Comments

[seasight.livejournal.com]

You'd think someone would've come up with a good solid definition of what kind of art is "Celtic" as opposed to art by completely different cultures that sort of reminds us of the Celts (or may have been influenced).

And, of course, "Celtic" art was inspired by Etruscan and Greek art. So...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I think art probably always crossfertilises a lot? I always wonder a bit about how people can look at a particular design and say stuff like 'oh, that must have been imported from Spain, see the characteristic flanges' rather than 'well, someone who made this had clearly seen the characteristic flanges of the ones that were popular in Spain...'

I suspect 'Celtic' to be used as a sort of marketing label nowadays, which makes googling a bit annoying.

[seasight.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't get me started on the many and varied uses of "Celtic". Seriously.

I can even tell you why people attach so much flibbetygibbet to the Celts. I could write an essay on it. Probably have, at some point.